The Cleveland Guardians had several roster decisions to make before Opening Day, and the organization is still working through some of the ramifications of those moves leading up to the start of the season.
Cleveland pulled off a minor trade with the Baltimore Orioles, centered on a player who was designated for assignment just a few days ago.
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Before Sunday’s series finale against the Seattle Mariners, the Guardians agreed to trade Johnathan Rodriguez to the Orioles in exchange for right-handed minor league reliever Carter Rustad.
Cleveland DFA’d Rodriguez in order to open up a roster spot for Rhys Hoskins, who made the Opening Day roster and needed to be added to the 40-man.
J-Rod was originally drafted by the Cleveland organization in the third round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He always showed a ton of potential to be a solid right-handed power hitter during his time in the Minor Leagues.
Sep 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Johnathan Rodriguez (30) hits an RBI single during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Through his eight-season Minor League career, Rodriguez owned a .853 OPS, including 114 home runs and 129 doubles.
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Rodriguez received chances to show he could fill in as a power threat in Cleveland’s lineup during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, but never found his groove at the big league level. In 102 career at-bats in the Majors, Rodriguez has a .586 OPS with two home runs and 36 strikeouts.
Perhaps the Orioles are willing to give Rodriguez another opportunity for a big league stint later on this season. Although his biggest competition in the Baltimore system might just be another former right-handed hitting Cleveland outfielder, in Jhonkensy Noel.
In exchange for Rodriguez, the Guardians are getting back a right-handed Minor League pitcher who has some strong stats in limited action.
Rustad was drafted by the Orioles in 2024 and made his professional debut in 2025. He appeared in 33 games last season, pitching to a 3.23 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and logged three saves. The right-hander also carried a strikeout rate of 24.6 percent last season, with a walk rate of 10.1 percent.
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The 24-year-old is currently at the Double-A level, which is likely where he’ll be placed in the Cleveland system.
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